My first speaking engagement in Bali was the first time I returned to the world of public talks in a long time. After half a year of a deep « house cleaning » hiatus on this far away island, I felt I could dare to share the fruits of my discoveries-and it only affirmed my joy. Part of my journey of soul recovery was thanks to receiving many blessings, initiations, inspirations, visitations from the Balinese high priests, from my Balinese friends, from the ceremonies I attended, and I felt progressively more and more integrated with these gifts.

To my delight, I was invited into deeper layers of magic and mysteries, spending all nights in sacred temples, taken over by trance dancing as my Balinese friends suddenly morphed into high priests singing magic incantations and sanskrit mantras. One of the highlights of this time, was when my friend, the popular writer Bapak Anand Krishna, author of 120 books on spiritual teachings and traditions, invited me as a speaker (here we go again !) to his Bali Meditator’s Festival happening in Ubud. I found myself facing an audience of 300 educated, English-speaking, enthusiastic participants coming from all over Indonesia.

I was given the honorable place of opening this symposium, sitting on the stage next to the HonorableIdaPedanda Sebali Tyaniar. I was told he was the number One High Priest of Bali. He invited me to open and start this conference. I responded thanking him and offering him the honor of doing so in return. A wise move, given that women, in Indonesia, are just « coming out » culturally, and usually, men are still considered « first » on the honors list. Ida Pedanda spoke in Indonesian about « the importance of togetherness » . The translator forgot to translate, charmed as she was by the content of his speech. I pretended to understand and loved the vibe. Then I spoke about the importance of meditation as a way to lead a dharmic life. And again the translator forgot herself , as her ears took the place of her mouth ! It did not matter. We had a great time, and we all loved it.

It was the first time that I participated in a symposium where both speakers at the table did not understand each other’s langage, but each other’s hearts. And the audience got it. And here I was again, unwittingly cast as a public person. And, I’ll admit : loving it again. And this time, the burn out was over.